Pacifier

ABSTRACT

A pacifier for infants in which a nipplelike mouthpiece is removably secured to a support by engagement between a post on which the mouthpiece is disposed and a clamp or holder which engages the mouthpiece and holds the same on the post to prevent removal of the mouthpiece by an infant. Such a pacifier in which the post has an enlarged end disposed in the mouthpiece to provide a shoulder under which the mouthpiece is clamped. Such a pacifier in which the post and clamp are integrally formed at the ends of a strap, which strap forms an enlarged handle for facilitating holding of the pacifier, the handle being composed of flexible material and also serving as a teething ring.

United States Patent Cynthia K. Janklow [72] Inventor 310-A N. Huntinglon Ave., Monterey Park, Calif. 91754 [21] Appl. No. 748,495 [22] Filed July 29, 1968 [45] Patented Jan. 19, 1971 [54] PACIFIER 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[521 US. Cl 128/360, 24/245 [51] Int. Cl A6lj 17/00 [50] Field ofSearch 128/359, 360; 24/305, 72.5, 245

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 954.066 4/1910 Ware 128/360 2.834350 5/1958 Beck et a1. 128/360 Primary Examiner-Dalton L. Truluck Attorney-Bernard Kriegel ABSTRACT: A pacifier for infants in which a nipplelike mouthpiece is removably secured to a support by engagement between a post on which the mouthpiece is disposed and a clamp or holder which engages the mouthpiece and holds the same on the post to prevent removal of the mouthpiece by an infant Such a pacifier in which the post has an enlarged end disposed in the mouthpiece to provide a shoulder under which the mouthpiece is clamped. Such a pacifier in which the post and clamp are integrally formed at the ends of a strap, which strap forms an enlarged handle for facilitating holding of the pacifier, the handle being composed of flexible material and also serving as a teething ring.

' AC F ER.

Heretofore, pacifier devices have been'provided foruse by infants, as well as fo r'use by older children during teething, wherein a resilient nipplelikc mouthpiece is supported on a handle adapted to be gripped by the infant, but such devices have not been altogether sofe or satisfactory from the standpoint of hygiene. If the usual nursing bottle nipple is employed,the nipple may be so long as to enable the infant to choke or gag on the nipple: if the entire unit is small, the infant may dispose the unit in themouth, causing danger of suffocationl Moreover, such devices are not susceptible of. ease of nipple cleaning or change when the nipple is worn.

The present invention provides, a pacifier for infants wherein anipplelike mouthpiece isremovably supported on a handlefin such a mann er that, an infant or older child would have great difficultyin removing the mouthpiece from the support, but an adult, can readily remove the mouthpiece for the purposeof cleansing the pacifier support and mouthpiece or for the purpose of, replacing a worn or damaged mouthpiece.

More particularly, the invention provides a post or boss on which the open end of a nipple is disposed in tight fitting engagement, the boss having ajn enlargement or head thereon providing a shoulder. A clamp or retainer having a key slot opening t'hereinis disposedlabout the mouthpiece on the boss and secu rely holdsthe monthpiece on the boss the shoulder on the boss not only assisting in the clamping action, but also serying to prevent endv vise displacement of the clamp and,

mouthpiece, from the bossfln addition. the mouthpiece may be removed by forcibly shifting the clamp to a position relative to the boss at which an enlarged key slotportion permits endwise reinovalof the clamp from the mouthpiece and the boss was to enablesubsequent; removal. of the mouthpiece from the boss. in order to resistmovement of the clamp from a position at whichthe mouthpiece is clamped on the boss to a posi tion at whichthe clamp may be removed to enable removalof themouthpiece, the key slot is provided with a throatleading between the clamping portion ofthe key slot and the enlarged opening, the throatbeing smaller, than the clamping portion of the key slot so as to require theapplication of a greater force tending to release the clamping action than can be applied by an infant. A handle for the pacifier is provided by the invention which facilitates its handling by an infant. More specifically, theboss andthe clamp are providedfat the opposite ends of a strap folded to form a loop upon assembly of the pacifier, such loop also being usefulasalteething device for the infant. Theboss, theclamp, and the interconnecting strap may be molded as an integralunit of, pliable, nontoxic plastic material, andthe mouthpiece may besimilar to a conventionalnursing boitle nipple, thereby rendering the assembly easy and inexpensive to manufacture, as wellas inexpensive to replace nippies or mouthpieces.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is toprovide a pacifier including a nipplelike mouthpiece, the nipple having a relatively short. exposed portion insertable into an infants mouth so as to minimize the lik elihood of the infant choking onthe nipple. Another object of, theinvention is to provid e a pacifier, in clnding a nipple, or mouthpiece whichmay be readily replaced when wornor damaged, but. which, nevertheless, issecurely s di a smb y t l nippls upport during s by n. n-

fantso as to prevent, the infantfrom removing the nippleand swallowinglthe same or suffoeatingthereon. ln this connection, a further bject of the invention is to providev a pacifier assembly which isnot susceptible to being swallowedor suffocatingan infant.

Still anotherobjeet of, the invention is to provide a onepiece holder for'the nipple of the pacifier, the holder being formed of relatively soft, flexible or pliant material, andv providing whenassembled with the nipple a handlethat is easy for an infant tograspanciwhich also may serve the purpose of a teething device orring.

This invention possesses many other advantages. and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of a form in which it may be embodied. This form is shown in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. it will now be described in detail, for thepurpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that such detailed description not to be taken in a limiting sense. since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective illustrating a pacifier made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective illustrating the one-piece handle, boss, and clamp for thenipple of the pacifier;

FIG. Sis a view in longitudinal section, as taken on the line 3 30f FIG. I; and

FIG. 4 is a view in section, as taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing the nipple clamped to the boss in full lines, and in broken lines showing the clamp moved to a nipple releasing position.

As seen in the drawings, the pacifier comprises a handle. generally denoted at A, having nipple retainingand supporting means, generally denoted at B, for supporting a nipple, generally denoted at C the handle being adapted to be gripped by an infant so as to support t'he nipple for insertion into the infantfs mouth. o

The handle A and; the nipple retaining and supporting means Bare preferably, as best seen in FIG. 2, integral, the handle comprising an elongated strap 1. and the nipple retaining and supporting means including a base part 2 at one end of the strap land being of enlargedsize so as to be difficult to insort in the infants mouth. The base part2 has a boss 3 projecting therefrom and having at its outer extremity an enlarged head 4, the head 4, providing a shoulder 5 opposing the base part 2 to assist, in the retention of, the nipple thereon when engaged by a clamping or retaining part 6 which is integrally formed with the strap 1 at the other end thereof from the base part 2, Like the base part 2, the clamp part 6 is enlarged in relation to the strap 1, making it difficult to insert in the infant's mouth. In the clamp part 6 is akey slot 7 having an enlarged end section 8 through which the boss 3 and the head 4 thereon are adapted to be inserted. The enlarged end section 8 of the key slot 7 is defined by sidewalls 8a which converge toward one another to form a narrow throat section 10 of the key slot 7. The throat section 10 of the key slot 7 opens into a slightly enlarged end section 11 of "the key slot which is defined by an arcuate wall 11a andwhich conforms in shape tothe boss 3. The enlarged end-sectionll of the key slot 7 is slightly larger than the boss 3 so as to accommodate the nipple C. As best seen in FlG. 3, the nipple C is similar to a conventional nursing bottle nipple havinga hollow body 12 provided with an open end 13 circumscribedby an enlarged bead 14 extending circumferentially about the open end 13. of the body 12 of the nipple C.

The boss 3 between the shoulder 5 and the base part 2 of the nipple retaining and supporting means B has a cylindrical wall l5 which may be of a diameter slightly larger than the opening in thc open end 13 of the nipple body 12 so that the bead 14 will tightly fit about the cylindrical wall 15 when the boss 3 is inserted into the open end l3of the nipple body 12.

The wall l la which defines the opening 11 is adapted to tightly fit about the body 12 of the nipple C between the bead Mon the nipple body 12 and the shoulder 5 on the boss 3; and the throat 10 of the key slot 7, is narrower than the diameter of the cylindrical wall 15. of the boss3, so that substantial force must be applied to the clamp part 6 of the nipple retaining and supporting means B in order to force the nipple body 12 and the boss 3 through the throat 10 of the key slot 7. As seen in FIG. 4, when the clamp part 6 is movedin the direction to force the nipple body 12 and the boss .3, through the throat 10,

When the nipple C on the boss 3 is retracted from the key slot 7, asjust indicated above, the nipple C may be pulled endwise from the boss 3 to remove the same for the purpose of its cleaning or replacement by a new nipple, in the event that the previous nipple is worn or damaged.

it will now be apparent that the strap 1, which forms the handle A, the base part 2, boss 3, and clamp part 6 of the nipple retaining and supporting means B may be molded as a unit and may be formed of suitable molded plastic material which is nontoxic and flexible or pliant, such as polyethylene. It will also be apparent that when the pacifier is assembled. as shown in H68. 1 and 3, the strap 1 provides a loop in the handle A which facilitatesthe gripping of the pacifier assembly by an infant. Such looped handle A also may be employed by the infant as a teething device or teething ring.

Moreover. it will be noted that in the use of the pacifier by an infant, a portion of the usual length of the nipple C is employed in securing the nipple on the boss 3 and. therefore, the free portion of the nipple body 12 is comparatively short. minimizing the possibility of an infant chocking on the nipple body 12. In addition. inasmuch as the nipple retaining and supporting means B is composed of the base part 2 and the clamp part 6 of substantial length and breadth. the nipple retaining and supporting means is not susceptible of easy insertion into the infants mouth, thereby minimizing the possiblity of choking or suffocation of an infant.

lclaim:

l. A pacifier device comprising: a support having a base portion and a cylindrical boss projecting from said base portion and terminating in an enlarged head at its outer extremity to provide a transverse shoulder facing said base portion; a resilient hollow nipple disposed over said boss and its enlarged head and projecting axially from said head; a retainer having a key slot therein including a first portion wider than the diameter of said nipple when mounted on said boss. a second portion of a diameter slightly greater than said cylindrical boss. but smaller than said nipple when mounted on said boss to provide an arcuate retainer wall tightly fitting said nipple when disposed therearound and securing'a portion of said nipple between said retainer and shoulder. said key slot further including a third throat portion interconnecting said first and second portions and having a width less than the diameter of said second portion to resist movement of said boss and nipple laterally from said second portion to said first portion.

2. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; wherein the width of said throat portion is less than the diameter of said cylindrical boss.

3. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; said nipple having a bead adjacent to said base portion larger in diameter than said arcuate retainer wall.

4. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; wherein the width of said throat portion is less than the diameter of said cylindrical boss; said nipple having a bead adjacent to said base portion larger in diameter than said arcuate retainer wall.

5. A pacifier device as defined in claim I; said support and said retainer being integral with each other and consisting of a pliant material.

6. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; a strap interconnecting said support and retainer; said support, strap and retainer being integral with each other and consisting of a pliant material.

7. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; wherein the width of said throat portion is less than the diameter of said cylindrical boss; said nipple having a bead adjacent to said base portion larger in diameter than said arcuate retainer wall; said support and said retainer being integral with each other and consisting of a pliant material.

8. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; wherein the width of said throat portion is less than the diameter of said cylindrical boss; said nipple having a bead adjacent to said base portion larger in diameter than said arcuate retainer wall; a strap interconnecting said support and retainer; said support, strap and retainer being integral with each other and consisting of a pliant material. 

1. A pacifier device comprising: a support having a base portion and a cylindrical boss projecting from said base portion and terminating in an enlarged head at its outer extremity to provide a transverse shoulder facing said base portion; a resilient hollow nipple disposed over said boss and its enlarged head and projecting axially from said head; a retainer having a key slot therein including a first portion wider than the diameter of said nipple when mounted on said boss, a second portion of a diameter slightly greater than said cylindrical boss, but smaller than said nipple when mounted on said boss to provide an arcuate retainer wall tightly fitting said nipple when disposed therearound and securing a portion of said nipple between said retainer and shoulder, said key slot further including a third throat portion interconnecting said first and second portions and having a width less than the diameter of said second portion to resist movement of said boss and nipple laterally from said second portion to said first portion.
 2. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; wherein the width of said throat portion is less than the diameter of said cylindrical boss.
 3. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; said nipple having a bead adjacent to said base portion larger in diameter than said arcuate retainer wall.
 4. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; wherein the width of said throat portion is less than the diameter of said cylindrical boss; said nipple having a bead adjacent to said base portion larger in diameter than said arcuate retainer wall.
 5. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; said support and said retainer being integral with each other and consisting of a pliant material.
 6. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; a strap interconnecting said support and retainer; said support, strap and retainer being integral with each other and consisting of a pliant material.
 7. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; wherein the width of said throat portion is less than the diameter of said cylindrical boss; said nipple having a bead adjacent to said base portion larger in diameter than said arcuate retainer wall; said support and said retainer being integral with each other and consisting of a pliant material.
 8. A pacifier device as defined in claim 1; wherein the width of said throat portion is less than the diameter of said cylindrical boss; said nipple having a bead adjacent to said base portion larger in diameter than said arcuate retainer wall; a strap interconnecting said support and retainer; said support, strap and retainer being integral with each other and consisting of a pliant material. 